Author: GNOSF-admin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WRESTLEMANIA^® RETURNS TO THE BIG EASY

NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 10, 2017 – Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and WWE^® (NYSE: WWE) are proud to announce that the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans will host WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania, on Sunday, April 8, 2018.

“We are excited to bring WrestleMania back to Louisiana,” said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.  “This is a great event being hosted in one of the greatest cities in the world. We cordially invite WWE fans from all over to be part of WrestleMania Week and experience all that our beautiful state has to offer.”

“New Orleans is proud to have WrestleMania return to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.  “WrestleMania brought a world-class event to our city in 2014, and the week-long series of events generated a boost to our economy. We look forward to another historic week of events in 2018, all as part of our city’s Tricentennial celebration.”

“New Orleans is a perfect setting for WWE’s biggest celebration of the year,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “On behalf of everyone at WWE, we thank Governor Edwards and Mayor Landrieu for welcoming WrestleMania back to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.”

WrestleMania is more than just a one-day event; it’s a week-long celebration that will stretch throughout the New Orleans region.  In addition to WrestleMania, other activities will include: WrestleMania Axxess, WWE’s four-day interactive fan festival at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center; the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Smoothie King Center; NXT^® TakeOver at the Smoothie King Center; Monday Night Raw^® at the Smoothie King Center; SmackDown^® Live at the Smoothie King Center; Be a STAR^® anti-bullying rallies; hospital visits and other community outreach initiatives designed to give back to the host community. The event will be broadcast live on WWE Network and pay-per-view in more than 180 countries.  Over the past 10 years, WrestleMania has generated nearly $1 billion in cumulative economic impact for the cities that have hosted the event.  This year, WrestleMania takes place Sunday, April 2 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 35 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/

Media Contact:

Adam Hopkins

WWE

203-352-8675

Adam.Hopkins@wwecorp.com

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to: WWE Network (including the risk that we are unable to attract, retain and renew subscribers); major distribution agreements; our need to continue to develop creative and entertaining programs and events; the possibility of a decline in the popularity of our brand of sports entertainment; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent K. McMahon; possible adverse changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private sector initiatives; the highly competitive, rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented nature of the markets in which we operate and greater financial resources or marketplace presence of many of our competitors; uncertainties associated with international markets; our difficulty or inability to promote and conduct our live events and/or other businesses if we do not comply with applicable regulations; our dependence on our intellectual property rights, our need to protect those rights, and the risks of our infringement of others’ intellectual property rights; the complexity of our rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and geographical areas; potential substantial liability in the event of accidents or injuries occurring during our physically demanding events including, without limitation, claims relating to CTE; large public events as well as travel to and from such events; our feature film business; our expansion into new or complementary businesses and/or strategic investments; our computer systems and online operations; privacy norms and regulations; a possible decline in general economic conditions and disruption in financial markets; our accounts receivable; our revolving credit facility; litigation; our potential failure to meet market expectations for our financial performance, which could adversely affect our stock; Vincent K. McMahon exercises control over our affairs, and his interests may conflict with the holders of our Class A common stock; a substantial number of shares are eligible for sale by the McMahons and the sale, or the perception of possible sales, of those shares could lower our stock price; and the relatively small public “float” of our Class A common stock. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends (including under our revolving credit facility), general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Forward-looking statements made by the Company speak only as of the date made and are subject to change without any obligation on the part of the Company to update or revise them. Undue reliance should not be placed on these statements. For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10Q.

NBA All-Star is coming to New Orleans in February 2017, Click Here for Tickets available now.

Click to see GNOSF and Sideline Pass Junior Journalism coverage of the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Media Day.

 

Click Here to read more in our GNOSF Sport Report

 

GREATER NEW ORLEANS SPORTS FOUNDATION AND SMG ANNOUNCE CBS CLASSIC COMING TO NEW ORLEANS FOR FIRST TIME IN 2017

Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and UCLA to square off at the Smoothie King Center

 

NEW ORLEANS (Dec. 13, 2016) – The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF) and SMG announced today New Orleans has been selected to host the CBS Sports Classic, to take place Saturday, December 23, 2017, in the Smoothie King Center. The Classic is a neutral-site, four-team college basketball tournament among perennial powers Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and UCLA.

“There is no doubt that the fans of these four teams, all traditionally nationally ranked in the top 25, will experience an incredible holiday weekend of basketball in one of the world’s best cities.  And, if history holds true, one of these matchups in the Smoothie King Center could prove to be a 2018 Final Four preview. That could certainly be the case this year with the way that Kentucky and North Carolina are ranked right now,” said Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the GNOSF.

Together, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and UCLA have won 25 NCAA Championships and made 175 NCAA Tournament appearances. They are among college basketball’s all-time winningest programs, combining for more than 7,700 victories. They are also known for strong, loyal fan bases, many of whom travel for this event each year. The Classic is expected to serve as a strong leisure travel draw to the City of New Orleans during the holidays, bringing new visitors from across the country to the Crescent City.

“Landing the event was a collaborative effort between the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and SMG, with great support from the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation and the CVB,” said Alan Freeman, SMG general manager for both the Smoothie King Center and Mercedes-Benz Superdome.  “CBS is also to be commended for creating a unique property with talented teams and fan bases with proven enthusiasm to travel. New Orleans certainly promises to raise the bar for the CBS Sports Classic, especially as we look ahead to the Men’s Final Four in 2022, reinforcing our reputation as the destination of choice for major sporting events.”

Mark Starsiak, CBS Sports Classic director of operations, noted the importance of a strong host committee when selecting New Orleans as the 2017 site.

“The experience, enthusiasm and support of the Greater New Orleans was a tipping point in our decision to pull the trigger rather quickly on committing to New Orleans for 2017,” commented Starsiak. “Our staff, partners, and participating teams appreciate the type of attention that the Sports Foundation and SMG, along with their host committee partners, are already delivering beyond the scope of the basketball games.  They made us feel as valued and confident in their ability to support our event as they do for Super Bowls, Final Fours or NBA All-Star Games.”

Media Contacts:

Caitlin Piper, GNOSF cpiper@theehrhardtgroup.com, 504.919.9566

Sabrina Trahan, SMG sabrina.trahan@smgneworleans.com, 504.587.3924

Dan Sabreen, CBS Sports dsabreen@cbs.com, 212-975-5936

Dan Mihalik, KemperLesnik, dan.mihalik@kemperlesnik.com, 312-888-2109

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The NCAA announced today the 2022 Men’s Final Four will be played in New Orleans. The Big Easy, which will host the Final Four for the sixth time overall and the first time in 10 years, has been traditionally one of the most popular Final Four cities and has provided several iconic championship moments that will be celebrated as anniversaries in 2022. The Division I Men’s Basketball Committee selected New Orleans, with Tulane University serving as the host institution.

“New Orleans has an incredibly rich history of hosting the Final Four and for a variety of reasons it was determined that 2022 was the perfect year to bring the event back to the Crescent City,” said Dan Gavitt, vice president for men’s basketball championships. “New Orleans is a festive place that embraces this event and makes it special for participating student-athletes and fans. With a little luck, we’ll get some of the same Final Four magic we’ve been treated to in the past.”

The Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, part of the Division I Council, approved the men’s basketball committee’s recommendation.

The men’s basketball committee decided to forego the traditional site selection process in choosing New Orleans, which narrowly missed being picked during the last bid cycle that concluded with Phoenix, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Indianapolis awarded the 2017-21 Final Fours. The Final Four site selection process scheduled to begin next year will still take place, with the 2023, 2024 and 2025 locations expected to be announced in the summer of 2018.

“With the Final Four competing for many of the same venues that host major events such as the Super Bowl and College Football Playoff, we did not want to wait until 2018 to make the announcement for the 2022 Final Four,” said Gavitt. “That, combined with the milestone anniversaries we’ll celebrate at that time, made the decision to move forward with New Orleans hosting in 2022 the sensible thing to do. We look forward to another competitive bid process commencing after the 2017 Final Four when we’ll determine the next three hosts.”

The 2022 Final Four will mark the 40^th anniversary of the 1982 title game in New Orleans featuring North Carolina, led by Coach Dean Smith and Michael Jordan, against Coach John Thompson, Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas. The Tar Heels won the game 63-62 on Jordan’s jumper with 15 seconds to play. It will also mark the 35^th anniversary of the 1987 title game, featuring Coach Bob Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers, who defeated Coach Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse squad 74-73 on Keith Smart’s jumper with four seconds remaining.

The last Final Four staged in New Orleans featured a title game between the two winningest programs in the history of college basketball. Led by freshman sensation Anthony Davis, Kentucky outlasted Kansas to win the program’s eighth national championship in school history. The 2022 Final Four will mark the 10^th anniversary of that showdown between John Calipari’s and Bill Self’s teams.

New Orleans was also the site of the Final Four in 1993, when Smith won his final national championship at North Carolina, and in 2003, when Boeheim guided Syracuse to the national crown. The 2022 Final Four will be the 84^th year of the event.

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome has hosted the Final Four each time the event has come to the city, and will do so again in 2022. The Superdome will join Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri, New York City’s Madison Square Garden and Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky as the only venues that have hosted at least six national championship games.

 

Click Here To View GNOSF Special Edition Newsletter

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE ACCEPT
2016 R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL INVITATION

NEW ORLEANS (Dec. 4, 2016) – University of Southern Mississippi and University of Louisiana at Lafayette accepted invitations today to compete against one another in the 16th Annual R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. CST and will air on ESPN and ESPN Radio.

“This will mark the fifth time that both Louisiana and Southern Mississippi have competed in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, but this marks the first time they compete against each other. Our committee and staff are happy to welcome back both universities coaches, student-athletes, alumni and fans for what promises to be a spectacular weekend in New Orleans,” said R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Chairman Sherriff Paul Valteau.

Led by Head Coach Jay Hopson, the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles finished the regular season with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 record in Conference USA. This will be the Golden Eagles’ fifth appearance in the New Orleans Bowl.

“I am extremely proud of the 2016 Golden Eagle football team and very excited to get the invitational to play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl,” said first-year Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jay Hopson. “It is a great destination bowl, and the Golden Eagle football family is excited to continue our season in the City of New Orleans.”

With Head Coach Mark Hudspeth at the helm, the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns posted a regular season record of 6-6 overall and a 5-3 conference record in the Sun Belt Conference. This will be the also mark the Ragin’ Cajuns fifth appearance in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to return to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl for a record fifth time,” Ragin’ Cajuns Head Football Coach Mark Hudspeth said. “We have had great success playing in one of the great destination cities in the world, and it has become a second home for us. Playing in the New Orleans Bowl provides a great overall experience, not only for our players, but also for our fans who have given us overwhelming support in the past.”

The 2016 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will be played on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. CST in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Radio.
For more information on the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, visit www.neworleansbowl.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NewOrleansBowl.

WWII AirPower Expo 2016 will gather historic 1940s warbirds and the veteran aviators who flew them for a three-day celebration of airborne might. Presented by The National WWII Museum, the Commemorative Air Force, and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the Expo will offer thrilling aerial demonstrations, aircraft tours, authentic WWII-era entertainment, hands-on activities for adults and children alike, and the opportunity to meet some of the men and women who helped win World War II. Touch the planes and talk to the heroes—November 4 to 6 at New Orleans Lakefront Airport.

Friday and Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE

Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Rickey Jackson, the Bayou District Foundation’s J.T. Hannan, former Brother Martin and LSU star Tommy Clapp, Landry-Walker head coach Emmanuel Powell, WDSU Sports Director Fletcher Mackel, Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune and NOLA.com and Ken Trahan of SportsNOLA.com, WHNO TV 20 and WGSO, 990 AM are the featured speakers at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Quarterback Club on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at The Cannery, 3803 Toulouse Street in New Orleans.

Jackson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and was an inaugural inductee into the New Orleans Saints Ring of Honor. Jackson was previously inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame. He is the all-time leader in sacks in New Orleans Saints history and was a six-time Pro Bowl participant and four-time All-Pro in his 13 seasons with the Saints. He is a host of SportsNOLA TV Monday nights at 6 p.m. on WHNO TV 20.

Hannan serves as the Director of Public and Governmental Affairs for the Bayou District Foundation. He will give a detailed presentation on the soon-to-open new City Park championship golf course. Hannan has worked with Fore!Kids Foundation and the Zurich Classic and serves on the Archbishop’s Community Appeal Executive Board, the New Orleans Police Department’s PCAB Committee and the Metropolitan Crime Commission Board of Directors.

Clapp was a star at Brother Martin High School before starting at LSU on the defensive line from 1984-87, serving as a permanent team captain for the Tigers in 1987. He spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1988. Clapp is the father of LSU offensive guard Will Clapp.

In his seventh year as the head coach at Landry-Walker as well as O. Perry Walker, which merged with L.B. Landry in 2013, Powell guided the Charging Buccaneers to the Class 5A quarterfinals in 2015 and the Class 4A quarterfinals in 2014. He led Landry-Walker to the 4A semifinals in 2013. In 2010, he took O. Perry Walker to the 4A semifinals as well.

A native New Orleanian, Mackel played baseball at De La Salle and was team captain at Loyola. He has been at WDSU since 2002, serving as sports director for several years. Mackel has won numerous awards for best sportscast from the Press Club of New Orleans and the Louisiana Associated Press. Mackel was inducted into the De La Salle Hall of Fame.

A native New Orleanian who lived in Mandeville until he was seven, Katzenstein joined the Times-Picayune and NOLA.com in 2016 after working for the Detroit News, where he covered the Detroit Lions. Katzenstein previously worked in sports for the Minnesota Daily and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

A native New Orleanian, Trahan is the Executive Director and CEO of SportsNOLA.com and serves as Sports Director of WGSO, 990 AM. He is the General Manager and Chairman of the Board of the Saints Hall of Fame Museum and hosts SportsNOLA TV on WHNO TV 20. Trahan has won numerous awards from the Louisiana Sportswriters, The Press Club and the Associated Press and has been inducted into the Archbishop Rummel, De La Salle and New Orleans Prep Sports Halls of Fame.

Speakers on the New Orleans Saints, LSU, Tulane and Prep football will address the audience weekly, along with special guest speakers from the sports world locally and nationally. A local high school player of the week is chosen throughout the season with a metro prep player of the year announced at the end of the season, sponsored by the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Lunch is served weekly.

In addition, Chevron sponsors student-athletes of the week each week, who receive plaques and recognition for their accomplishments in the classroom.

Annual standard membership is $50 per person with premier annual membership at $80, which includes a Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Quarterback Club golf shirt and lapel pin, along with reserved seating. Luncheons are $20 per person for members and $25 per person for non-members.

SportsNOLA.com serves as the official web site of the GNOSF Quarterback Club while Compliance Technology Group remains a presenting sponsor, along with Strength Systems, WGSO 990 AM and WHNO TV 20.

For more information on joining the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Quarterback Club, contact Stan Kottemann at (504) 908-6080 or at skotlaw@aol.com.

For more information on the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Membership program, visit www.gnosports.com or contact Tricia Lowe at (504) 619-6114 or at tlowe@gnosf.org.

**The GNOSF Quarterback Club also offers a season ticket package, covering dues and all 16 luncheons for $295, a savings of $80 over the course of the season.

 

NBA UNVEILS NEW ORLEANS-INSPIRED NBA ALL-STAR 2017 LOGO

 

 NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 8, 2016 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today unveiled the logo for NBA All-Star 2017 in New Orleans, La.  The Crescent City-inspired design features an iconic ironwork border with the classic fleur-de-lis symbol strewn across the background.  The New Orleans Pelicans’ team colors – gold, navy and red – are also incorporated into the logo scheme.

The 66^th annual NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Smoothie King Center, home of the Pelicans.  NBA All-Star 2017 will be broadcast in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

In addition to the game, Smoothie King Center will host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 17 and State Farm^® All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 18, while the NBA All-Star Practice, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.  This will mark the third time New Orleans has been the site of the league’s annual midseason celebration, having hosted the event in 2008 and 2014.

Additional details on tickets, schedule and other All-Star information will be released at a later date.  Follow @NBAAllStar on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest All-Star news.

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About NBA All-Star 2017

NBA All-Star 2017 in New Orleans will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game.  The 66th NBA All-Star Game, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Smoothie King Center, will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.  TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 15th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 32nd year of NBA All-Star coverage.  Smoothie King Center will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 17 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 18.  The NBA All-Star Practice, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.